Premiership Rookies to watch in 2019/20
Thanks to the presence of the Rugby World Cup and the delayed start to the Gallagher Premiership season, the new campaign in England will begin with a large block of Premiership Cup fixtures.
The upside to this is that it should create an opportunity for plenty of younger players as soon as preseason ends. The downside is that many clubs will use it as a way of getting senior players up to scratch before the Premiership season proper begins.
Nevertheless, there will be opportunities for younger players in a season coming off the back of a Rugby World Cup and we have identified below one rookie from each club who could have an impact in their debut professional season.
Bath – Max Ojomoh
Bath won’t be particularly hard hit in the centres in terms of internationals being away, with only Jonathan Joseph in the frame to be in Japan, but Ojomoh is a player of high potential who has already begun to make an impact at the Premiership Shield level.
A direct inside centre who will actively run at the space between defenders and not soak up contact unnecessarily, something which is aided by his excellent footwork, Ojomoh could be an option at 12 for Bath in the Cup this season, with Max Clarke and Max Wright then completely freed up to deputise for Joseph at 13.
The leaps he made with his comfort and communication in defence between his U17 and his U18 years was clear to see last season and should help him make a more seamless transition to the senior set-up. With Bath set to lose two or three back three players to England, look for wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb to get some chances, too.
Bristol Bears – Ioan Lloyd
The most exciting thing about Lloyd is the scope for how Bristol could use him at the senior level. They’ve publicly signed him as a fly-half and that is certainly one option, although he also offers intelligent and incisive counter-attacking from the full-back position.
Whether he’s learning his trade alongside Ian Madigan and Callum Sheedy or deputising for Charles Piutau with fellow versatile Welsh playmaker Mat Protheroe, there should be a few glimpses of Lloyd’s ability this coming season.
When they come, you’ll see a confident fly-half who’s comfortable taking the ball to the gain-line and playing late, but who also has the control at the position to be a candidate to be Bristol’s ‘franchise fly-half’ moving forward.
Exeter Chiefs did not contract any U18s this summer.
Gloucester – Louis Rees-Zammit
As Gloucester’s youngest ever Premiership player, having featured for the senior side at the age of just 18 years and 70 days last season, there was no other direction to go here than with Rees-Zammit.
His electrifying pace, footwork and attacking instincts saw him light up the U18 competition over the last couple of years and his impact was also felt in the Premiership Shield last season, despite him still being in his final year at Hartpury College.
We promised you a wonder try.
Here is said wonder try.
Take a bow @LouisReesZammit ?@GlosRugby_Acad delivering again! pic.twitter.com/MPVsjJeBSB
— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) April 2, 2019
Gloucester don’t lose too many players to international duty but expect Rees-Zammit to feature at some point all the same, whilst a senior Welsh cap won’t be out of the question, either, with Wayne Pivac likely very keen to lure him back to Wales.
Harlequins – Louis Lynagh
A nimble full-back who is also comfortable on the wing, Lynagh could make the most of the injury to Nathan Earle and Vereniki Goneva’s potential duty with Fiji at the Rugby World Cup. Quins may be reluctant to throw him in at the deep end at full-back, especially with Mike Brown and Aaron Morris available to them, but opportunities on the wing could certainly come.
As back three players go, there are few as eager to play from deep as Lynagh and his balance, and vision of where the space on the pitch is, frequently see him slalom his way through opposition defences.
It could be a good way to introduce Lynagh to senior rugby, as he works on the kicking, positional and defensive skills that he will ultimately need to thrive at full-back.
Leicester Tigers – Freddie Steward
Another full-back, Steward has already had a taste of Premiership and senior rugby, as he was used briefly by Leicester towards the end of last season. If Telusa Veainu is at the Rugby World Cup with Tonga, opportunities should come for Steward.
He might not be quite as agile or have the acceleration that Lynagh does, but he is more robust physically, is strong in the air and is very consistent in one-on-one tackles, potentially making his transition to playing full-back at the senior level a little more comfortable.
If he can impress in the Cup fixtures, don’t rule Steward out from making a number of matchday 23s in the Premiership as the season goes on.
London Irish – Chunya Munga
With Irish handing out a number of contracts to forwards this season, Munga becomes the first player in the pack to be mentioned. It’s not a selection by default, though, as Munga ticks a very valuable box for Irish and that’s by being an athletic second row who can make a major long-term impact at the lineout. Phil Cokanasiga, the younger brother of Joe, has also inked terms with the club and will likely feature at some point.
?? | London Irish has today confirmed five additions to the Senior Academy for the 2019/20 season.
Finlay Rossiter, Chunya Munga, Josh Smart, Jack Belcher & Luke Green have been given the opportunity to further their development at the club. Read more ? https://t.co/oeHgcZOCtp pic.twitter.com/KsZTt4Yfd3
— London Irish (@LiRFC) April 17, 2019
Irish are not overflowing with locks since Sebastian de Chaves’ departure to Newcastle and Adam Coleman could yet be involved with the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup. Short-term signing Ruan Botha has had an injury-plagued year and Albert Tuisue will likely be with Fiji.
Asking a lock to step up to the physicality on show in the seniors in his first year is not easy, but opportunities could and should come in the Cup and Shield and Munga will certainly be one to watch in those tournaments. His technical skill at the set-piece and reading of opposition lineouts certainly caught the eye in the U18s.
Newcastle Falcons – Will Haydon-Wood
Possibly the most impressive pure fly-half at U18 level over the last season, Haydon-Wood will be hoping that he can crack the senior squad during Newcastle’s stint in the Greene King IPA Championship.
A season of learning from the veteran Toby Flood and Joel Hodgson could do wonders for Haydon-Wood, who Newcastle will be keen to develop and show him that he can realise all his club and international ambitions in the north-east.
Dean Richards has not been the most eager of directors of rugby to throw in younger players at the senior level during his time at the Falcons, although the step down in quality that the Championship offers versus the Premiership could see him give his talented senior academy group more of an opportunity. Outside centre Chidera Obonna is another rookie to watch, with Chris Harris having departed for Gloucester.
Northampton Saints – Josh Gillespie
Another of the U18s from last season to have already been given a taste of senior action, Gillespie should see minutes this season, the question is just at what position will those opportunities come.
In his cameos for the seniors last season Gillespie was used on the wing, but the former Millfield school pupil is also adept at full-back and there has been talk that his future may lie at outside centre. With Matt Proctor coming in and Rory Hutchinson and Fraser Dingwall putting down markers last season, it is probably safe to rule the latter out.
Chris Boyd will be buoyed by the payoff he got from giving Ollie Sleightholme chances on the wing last season and as a result may well be keen to hand those same opportunities to Gillespie, whose speed and footwork will translate well to the seniors, giving Saints one of the best young wing tandems in the country.
Sale Sharks – Tom Roebuck
Sale have a strong group of wings in their senior squad, albeit without the depth of some of the other Premiership clubs, which could open a door for Roebuck.
Where the likes of Gillespie, Lynagh and Rees-Zammit mentioned earlier all excel through their speed, footwork and evasion, Roebuck is built more robustly and is not afraid to use his physicality to win one-on-one contests. He certainly doesn’t lack for speed, either, but nor does he mind lowering his shoulder and running through someone.
If Byron McGuigan is with Scotland and Sale approach Marland Yarde’s rehabilitation conservatively, playing time should beckon for Roebuck in the Cup and Shield, although Chris Ashton and Denny Solomona will be tough to dislodge as starting options in the Premiership. Gifted and versatile playmaker Tom Curtis should see the pitch, too, although Cam Redpath will likely be next man up in the Sale midfield.
Saracens – Harvey Beaton
A forward-heavy intake, Saracens only opted to contract one back this season, paving the way for Beaton to be mentioned here, despite the tighthead, in all honesty, still unlikely to crack the senior squad at the Premiership level.
That said, with Vincent Koch, Juan Figallo and Titi Lamositele all possibly involved in the Rugby World Cup, Saracens may have to lean on Beaton in the Cup and Shield, with new signings Josh Ibuanokpe and Sam Wainwright needed for the Premiership, especially in the first few rounds of competition.
If this comes across as negative towards Beaton due to the plethora of options ahead of him, it should not. To even be in the frame at a position like tighthead as a first-year player is extremely rare and although opportunities may be limited this season, Beaton could eventually be the one accolade that the Saracens academy has been missing in recent years – a top-end tighthead prop.
Wasps – Alfie Barbeary
A player that plenty of people are aware of already, not least so for his reckless off-the-ball tip tackle at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Argentina, Barbeary is a very talented hooker who could feature intermittently in his first professional season.
There is still a week left to serve on his ban for that indiscretion in Rosario but, fitness-permitting, he should feature for Wasps in the Cup and Shield, the latter of which he played regularly in whilst still at school at Bloxham.
If he takes to professional rugby and the demands and responsibilities required of it well, and continues to develop his lineout throwing, Barbeary could even begin to crack Premiership matchday 23s by the end of the season.
Worcester Warriors – Noah Heward
Just the three players brought in by Worcester this summer, although full-back Heward has already had a taste of senior rugby in the Shield and did well in those opportunities. He now gets the opportunity to learn from Chris Pennell, something which should certainly help him in his fledgling pro career.
Melani Nanai and Ed Fidow come in for the departing Josh Adams and Bryce Heem, so playing time is not necessarily going to be on the table for Heward in the Premiership, but further games in the Shield should be, as well as chances in the Cup competition.
With Pennell set to turn 33 this season, Worcester will have an eye on who his eventual successor may be, so if Heward can impress in those competitions, he will position himself well for the seasons to come at Sixways.
Watch: The first episode of RugbyPass’ six-part documentary on the Leicester Tigers academy.
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments